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Santa Cruz Sentinel, Calif., Street Smarts column

Nov 29, 2012 (Santa Cruz Sentinel - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) --
Q Horn honking is a gripe of mine. People do it to 'say hi.' Enough already. Call your friends when you're stopped or home. Use your horn for what it was intended. It's just more noise pollution and who needs that
Thanks,
Michael Bombardieri, Santa Cruz
A I remember the days when people who carpooled, their ride would pull up and lay on the horn. I am actually thankful for cell phones in regard to reducing the noise level in the early a.m. -- as long as people aren't texting/calling while driving. But with the prevalence of car alarms that use horns to scare away falling leaves, as well as the scenarios you presented, I agree that we need some horn etiquette.

Q Horn honking is a pet peeve of mine. I had to reprimand a friend of mine the other day. He gave me a 'beep, beep, beep hello' as I was turning left out of the Target parking lot at Clares Street. The driver next to me was dumbfounded. My neighbor across the street must be very popular, he gets beeped at by all kinds of cars whenever he steps outside his house. It's just noise pollution, one step below garden leaf blowers and chainsaws, and I don't even have that good of hearing anymore with 56-year-old construction ears.

Michael Bombardieri, Santa Cruz
A Local law enforcement from around the county hear your pain.

"I
was running this week along 17th Avenue when two young girls were driving and following each other and sounding their horns back and forth continuously playing with each other," said Lt. John Hohmann of the Scotts Valley Police Department. "It was very annoying and unnecessary."
Hohmann dug up California Vehicle Code section 27001, which reads:
(a) The driver of a motor vehicle when reasonably necessary to insure safe operation shall give audible warning with his horn.

(b) The horn shall not otherwise be used, except as a theft alarm system which operates as specified in Article 13 (commencing with Section 28085) of this chapter.

Meanwhile, the minimum fine for violating the horn law is set at no less than $154, Hohmann added.

Did you know
That vehicles model year 1976 and newer are not exempt from smog requirements even though they were issued Historic Vehicle License Plates
"If a historical or collector vehicle -- regardless of the license plates assigned to it -- is at least 35 years old, the vehicle is exempt from certain portions of the smog test as required by the California Health and Safety Code," reported Ask the DMV, the agency's transportation column based on frequently asked questions.

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